(Washington) US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday announced the creation of a cybersecurity department and envoy to strengthen US diplomacy in the face of these “challenges of the 21st century.e century ”against the backdrop of increasing attacks by hackers close to rival countries.
“We are going to work with Congress to set up a new Cyberspace Office of Digital Policy” within the State Department, he wrote in a message to staff obtained by AFP.
This direction will eventually be headed by an ambassador whose confirmation will have to be validated by a vote of the American Senate, and “will focus on three key sectors: the security of international cyberspace, international digital policy, and digital freedom”, said the spokesman for American diplomacy, Ned Price, to the press.
Antony Blinken, who is due to deliver a speech on Wednesday on this axis of “modernization” of Washington’s foreign policy, also promised the appointment of a “new special envoy for crucial and emerging technologies”.
He reaffirmed his desire to build “a State Department that is ready for the challenges of the 21ste century ”.
However, the world has entered “a fundamentally new era of international affairs, where the climate crisis, health and emerging technologies will increasingly be at the heart of joint initiatives with our allies and partners, but also of our competition with our partners. rivals and adversaries, ”said Ned Price.
The announcements come as the United States has proven itself more than once in recent months to be vulnerable to increasing cyber attacks.
The computer giant Microsoft has warned that a group of Russian hackers, behind a large computer attack in the United States last year, was leading a new offensive against American and European organizations.